tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10847681528493130702015-01-23T18:36:34.077-05:00Summer FriendWelcome!
My name is Danette Haworth and I'm glad you're here.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.comBlogger467125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-15687575972867003982014-12-09T12:36:00.000-05:002014-12-09T12:36:29.817-05:00How's Your Holiday Season Going?My holiday season has never been easier. My kitchen was ripped out in September--and has only now been put back together--and my downstairs carpet will be ripped out a few days before Christmas to have new carpet reinstalled. This construction is due to a major leak discovered late summer.<br /><br />Again, my holiday season has never been easier! I mean it! This year, I didn't--COULDN'T--cook for Thanksgiving. Christmas--I can't decorate downstairs because EVERYTHING has to be moved off the carpet a couple of days before Christmas. (There is a landing upstairs where I will put a small tree and the presents--a Christmas corner, if you will.)<br /><br />No mess &amp; no stress,<br />This season's a success!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6QoVPPiJNQ/VIcymuEAW2I/AAAAAAAABj0/YyMJUe1qM34/s1600/Danette%2BHaworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6QoVPPiJNQ/VIcymuEAW2I/AAAAAAAABj0/YyMJUe1qM34/s1600/Danette%2BHaworth.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div><br /><br />Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-76748834850280893942014-11-05T16:08:00.000-05:002014-11-05T16:08:11.316-05:00True Enough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MhLHTlc8DEU/VFqRc6s_qfI/AAAAAAAABjU/GFI8yMuSs9Q/s1600/True%2BEnough%2BNov%2B5%2B2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MhLHTlc8DEU/VFqRc6s_qfI/AAAAAAAABjU/GFI8yMuSs9Q/s1600/True%2BEnough%2BNov%2B5%2B2014.JPG" height="118.75" width="400" /></a></div><br />Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-11483422717444089122014-07-28T16:59:00.000-04:002014-07-28T16:59:37.091-04:00New Website Address for Danette Haworth!Hello all!<br /><br />Somehow, my dot com domain name got swiped a few weeks ago. I'm trying to get the dot com address back, but now <a href="http://www.danettehaworth.net/">Danette Haworth</a> is dot net website!<br /><br />Yay! I'm back online!Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-21741768352973125482014-07-25T20:47:00.000-04:002014-07-25T20:47:14.847-04:00Marine Fish, Materiel? Material? A Former Technical Writer InvestigatesSo I just read an article that stated the inhabitants of old Scotland probably had as the mainstay of their diet meat and marine fish. What? asks I. Aren't all fish marine, as in, "of the water?"<br /><br />Then technical writer DH appeared on my shoulder. "Remember materiel," she whispered in my ear.<br /><br />How well I do remember materiel. On my first day as a technical writer--while still a student!--my boss plopped a 500 page technical report from the Army. "Edit this," he said.<br /><br />I stared at that technical ream of paper in fear. What did I know of Army things? "This is what you're going to school for. You can do this," one of my inside voices said. I picked up my red pen and started reading. (In later months, I would switch to #2 pencil--the red pen made me feel as if I were yelling.)<br /><br />A few pages in, I came across the word "materiel." My hand swiped up, my wrist cocked, but I held my fire. I knew only the material on my back or the materials needed for an art project, but this was a brave new world I was entering--a world wherein "materiel" might be a word. I cracked open my new Merriam-Webster and found materiel somewhere after material but before mateship. Glad was I, having harkened the internal editor, and gladder still for not having made an embarrassing edit on my first day.<br /><br />Not all fish are marine fish; marine fish are saltwater fish, as opposed to fresh water fish. I will rest easy tonight with this new knowledge.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-43038388958069660792014-07-16T15:35:00.000-04:002014-07-16T15:35:05.755-04:00Website Down, The Mouse, and School VisitsHello all! It's another dreary day here in the Sunshine State. I like to tell people we have only two seasons: hot, and hot and rainy. Do not visit THE MOUSE in summer! You'll likely be drenched to the bone, then frozen by the AC. (That's when they swap you out for an aminatron, ala Stepford Wives). And when it's not raining, the heat and the humidity will press you right down to a smear on the concrete, which The Mouse's minions will wipe up and dispose of before anyone notices you're missing.<br /><br />Now to the subject at hand: My website is down. This is a problem for me because I wanted to update my school visit schedule. Because I don't know how soon the site will be back up, I wanted to let you know I have begun to book visits for next school year. Twenty-minute Skype visits are free to groups who've read my work. If you'd like me to visit in person, I have a variety of presentations and I also provide writing workshops for students who want to polish or publish their work.<br /><br />If you're interested in having me visit, send me a message! My email address is dhaworthbooks at yahoo dot com.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-27261744952936953932014-03-31T23:36:00.003-04:002014-03-31T23:36:55.810-04:00Anna M. from London wins A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY!Goodreads has selected Anna M. from London to receive a free, signed hardcover of my fourth novel, A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY!<div><br /></div><div>The contest ran for only two and half weeks, yet garnered almost eight hundred entries--thank you so much to all who participated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anna, A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY is coming your way!</div>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-30987224177010859132014-03-18T12:43:00.000-04:002014-03-18T12:44:36.572-04:00Flash Fiction Contest with Prizes and Critiques!You don't even have to be female to enter the <a href="http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php">WOW! Spring 2014 Flash Fiction Contest</a> sponsored by WOW! Women on Writing--you just have to write your best 750 words or less and pay a ten dollar entry fee (additional ten dollars for critique).<br /><br />I've entered several of their contests, placed and not placed, and I highly recommend not only the contest, but the website itself. When I started writing seriously in 2007, I discovered&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/">Wow! Women on Writing</a>,and I felt I'd found friends, people to whom I could learn from and whose words encouraged me.<br /><br />If you've never visited their site, you've got a lot of good stuff waiting for you. Check out current articles and contests, and don't forget to pore through the archives. This is the kind of website that makes you feel as though you are in the company of friends.<br /><br />Good luck, and have a great day!Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-62041018971576949032014-03-18T12:09:00.000-04:002014-03-18T12:15:07.403-04:00A Whole Lot of Lucky: Behind the scenes look at title developmentTitles--heartache city! The title must do everything a synopsis or query does: grab the reader, provide a summary, and hint at the action yet to come. A lot of time goes into working up a good title, and it's not just the author's work, either. The editor, the editor's coworkers, and sales and marketing all have their say; everyone's input must be considered.<br /><br />Titles cooked up and rejected for A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY:<br /><ul><li>Two Flavors of Lucky</li><li>The Year of My Magnificent Luckiness </li><li>Three Million Dollar Girl</li><li>The Duplicitous Luckiness of Hailee Richardson</li><li>Serendippitydoo </li><li>Lucky Me</li><li>Impossibly Possibly Lucky</li><li>Hailee Richardson, Girl Millionaire</li></ul>My editor and I brainstormed pages of titles and promptly rejected most of them. The problem lies in the word "lucky:" phrases involving "getting lucky" are imbued with the wrong kind of nuance! Also, we wanted to avoid words like jackpot or other buzzwords that are too close too gambling. (This was hard, because even the buying of a lottery ticket is gambling.)<br /><br />My sister suggested "A Whole Lotto Lucky," and the powers that be loved her suggestion! With a bit of morphing, my sister's words became A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY.<br /><br />Now you can try your luck without all the heartache my editor and I went through! For a free, signed hardcover of A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY, just enter the Goodreads contest! <br /><div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget85515"><!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled --> <br /><div class="goodreadsGiveawayWidget" style="border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid #EBE8D5; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 350px; padding: 10px 15px;"><style> .goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4_hover.gif); color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; } </style> <br /><h2 style="color: #555555; font-size: 20px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway </h2><div style="float: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513408"><img alt="A Whole Lot of Lucky by Danette Haworth" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344321934l/13513408.jpg" title="A Whole Lot of Lucky by Danette Haworth" width="100" /></a> </div><div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;"><h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513408">A Whole Lot of Lucky</a> </h3><h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;"> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1327642.Danette_Haworth" style="text-decoration: none;">Danette Haworth</a> </h4><div class="giveaway_details">Giveaway ends March 31, 2014. <br />See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/85515" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a> at Goodreads. </div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/85515">Enter to win</a> </div></div><script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/85515" type="text/javascript"></script>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-23118097267936174952014-03-17T09:30:00.000-04:002014-03-16T22:31:37.208-04:00Be Lucky--Win a Free Book!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><span style="color: black;"><i>If you're lucky enough to be Irish, you're lucky enough.</i></span></span>&nbsp;</span></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">This month, everyone has the chance to be lucky!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Win a <b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Free</span></b> hardcover of&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY!&nbsp;</span></b></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times,&quot;Times New Roman&quot;,serif;"><i>Kirkus Reviews</i> pinned a nice, big, blue star on <i>A Whole Lot of Lucky</i>, so what are you waiting around here for? Enter now at Goodreads!</span></span><b><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></b></span><br /><div id="goodreadsGiveawayWidget85515"><!-- Show static html as a placeholder in case js is not enabled --> <br /><div class="goodreadsGiveawayWidget" style="border-radius: 10px; border: 2px solid #EBE8D5; margin: 10px auto; max-width: 350px; padding: 10px 15px;"><style> .goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_button4_hover.gif); color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; } </style> <br /><h2 style="color: #555555; font-size: 20px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px !important; padding: 0 !important; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway </h2><div style="float: left;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513408"><img alt="A Whole Lot of Lucky by Danette Haworth" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344321934l/13513408.jpg" title="A Whole Lot of Lucky by Danette Haworth" width="100" /></a> </div><div style="margin: 0 0 0 110px !important; padding: 0 0 0 0 !important;"><h3 style="font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13513408">A Whole Lot of Lucky<span style="background-color: #999999;"></span></a> </h3><h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;"> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1327642.Danette_Haworth" style="text-decoration: none;">Danette Haworth</a> </h4><div class="giveaway_details">Giveaway ends March 31, 2014. <br />See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/85515" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a> at Goodreads. </div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/85515">Enter to win</a> </div></div><script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/85515" type="text/javascript"></script>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-36658321337654163632014-03-04T11:52:00.000-05:002014-03-04T11:52:30.179-05:00Your Friend is Grieving. What Should You Say? How Do You Comfort Them?So many of us are grieving the death of someone close to us.<br /><br />Grief comes in waves, receding, then roaring back to engulf us and batter us till we feel the tide might take us out and we will never return. It's not wrong to grieve. When recounting the scene of Jesus approaching the burial site of his good friend Lazarus, John tells us simply, "Jesus wept" (11:35). Jesus wept. It's the shortest verse in the Bible and it needs no explanation. I'm thinking today of my family and the family of John Wilbanks. I'm thinking of Rodney Wilbanks and his sister and brothers. I'm thinking of my daughter, Brooke Haworth﻿, for whom the loss has hit hard. My mom, whose grief is a weight pressing down on her.<br /><br />I am thinking of my close friend, Sima Taylor﻿, her wonderful brother, Mohammad Mojdehi﻿, whom she was so close to. I'm thinking of her daughter and her husband, Peter.<br /><br />I am thinking of my own brother who died too early, and whose death brings daily grief to me.<br /><br />I am thinking of Shannon Hitchcock﻿ and all the friends of Cynthia Chapman Willis, who recently succumbed to lung cancer.<br /><br />God knows your grief and he cares about you.<br /><br />This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you (2 Kings 20:5).<br /><br />You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them (David, writing in anguish. Psalm 56:8, Contemporary English Version).<br /><br />And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain (Revelation 21:4).<br /><br />Some of our friends who didn't know the one we grieve don't know how to handle the new, sorrowful version of us. If you are one of our friends, here is what you should say: "I'm sorry." or "I'm so very sorry." or "I'm sorry and I am thinking and praying for you." You can even say, "I don't know what to say."<br /><br />Send a card to your friend's home. Write some version of the words above. Send flowers to the funeral home, if you are moved to do so. If not, that's okay, but the very least you can do is send a card. Your friend is in a very hard place right now, and though a card seems an impossibly frail comfort, it actually lends a great deal of comfort.<br /><br />If you live near your friend, bring a meal or two over. Make cookies or banana bread or muffins--breakfast and easy snack items are generally overlooked but would be welcomed by the family.<br /><br />If you can alleviate your friend of certain chores, do so. Can you pick up the kids? Take them to practice? Mow the lawn? Babysit while your friend conducts death errands?<br /><br />Kids are in pain, too. Offer comfort to them as well.<br /><br />Hug your friend.<br /><br />If you have sweet or funny anecdotes about the person they're grieving, share those stories. They mean so much. Hand write the story even if you've told them, and send it to them in the mail. They will keep it forever.<br /><br />Let your friend talk about that person when they need to. If they suddenly need a topic change, allow it. Don't be hurt. Grief works in swells; your friend needs to talk but also to be free to escape the swell. Let them.<br /><br />Acknowledging your friend's pain tells them that you care about them; their pain is valid; you care that they are in pain; the person they are grieving for was valuable. I encourage you to not be afraid of your friend who is hurting. If you don't know what to say or do, I hope you find the words above helpful. Your friend is in an extremely vulnerable place right now. Rise above your discomfort and help them; however, a few things can actually hurt your friend, so be wise, choose your words and actions carefully:<br /><br />Do not avoid your friend. Their sorrow makes you uncomfortable; your avoidance makes them feel that you do not care about them; you don't think their grief is important; you don't recognize the value of the person they grieve.<br /><br />Do not offer platitudes. "It was God's timing," "You can still talk to him; he's watching you from heaven!" "He's in a better place now." These are throwaway lines. They have no power and they do not help.<br /><br />Do not interrogate your friend on the details of the death. If your friend doesn't mention the cause of death, you don't need that information. When or if your friend wants to share that with you they will.<br /><br />Do not mention and then launch into your own grief story. Your friend is suffering NOW. Be selfless and pay attention to their grief. This is not the time for you to claim your crown of grief. This is your friend's time. Let them have it.<br /><br />&nbsp;I hope anyone grieving has found some words of comfort in this post. And if you are a friend of someone grieving, I really do hope you've found this post helpful. Many people don't know what to do when their friend suffers a loss; the best thing you can do is to be there in simple, quiet ways. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vme8Pp8ONr4/UxYEj_Rk5fI/AAAAAAAABio/95fiJqMxWjA/s1600/tears+in+a+bottle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vme8Pp8ONr4/UxYEj_Rk5fI/AAAAAAAABio/95fiJqMxWjA/s1600/tears+in+a+bottle.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-45237119754333253462014-03-03T09:30:00.000-05:002014-03-03T09:30:04.992-05:00T'Kaiyah's Video Review of The Summer of Moonlight SecretsT'Kaiyah, I discovered your video recently and loved it so much, I had to share it! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_ukbx3y53M8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-3205838288816848332014-02-06T14:09:00.003-05:002014-02-06T14:09:39.940-05:00The Deceit of WeatherThe Deceit of Weather<br /><br />O weather, you weather, thou fair weather friend--<br />your promise of sunshine I will never again<br />believe<br />I'm aggrieved<br />You betray me so.<br />'Twas outside sixty<br />and felt like snow.<br /><br />Was a trick when once your ribbons unfurled<br />Ribbons of light and warmth that twirled<br />Enraptured me and made me whole<br />Today is gray and all are cold.<br /><br />O weather, you weather, thou friend foul and fair<br />entrelacé your ribbons to braid in my hair.<br />Dash away gray and cold and the rain<br />Restoreth my heart and my soul once again.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-38032783578098073322014-02-03T10:40:00.002-05:002014-02-03T10:40:42.419-05:00The State of SunshineThe State of Sunshine<br /><br />To my friends up north<br />there's something you should know;<br />I'm sweating in the heat<br />while you start the snow blow.<br /><br />Inside, outside, fun in the sun<br />but you wear your mittens<br />'cause it's twenty-one<br />below<br />I crow<br />My weather has bling.<br />Even when it rains,<br />there's a rainbow ring.<br /><br />I know you've got it bad,<br />the wind so shrill. <br />I'm in O-town<br />and I am just chill.<br /><br />So pack up your bags<br />and drive through the night.<br />Last one to leave,<br />turn out the light. <br /><br />Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-17361302161434723242014-02-02T14:31:00.003-05:002014-02-02T15:13:36.636-05:00'Tis Eighty-Four Degrees, My Ladies'Tis Eighty-Four Degrees<br /><br />The golden yoke of our sun breaks aloud,<br />cleaving through wooly heads of thunder clouds.<br /><br />Birds trill songs of gray winter, now gone,<br />our week of wintertide--degrees, fifty, or fifty-one.<br /><br />Away with our mittens and cloaks, no more freeze;<br />still in our closets hang our tanks and capris.<br /><br />Hear now my ladies, the heat--how it begs<br />We must to our razors, and shaveth our legs.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-54900824037333041962014-02-02T13:49:00.001-05:002014-02-02T13:49:14.904-05:00Blue Springs, FloridaI snapped this photo from a boardwalk overlooking the springhead at Blue Springs. More than a million gallons of water a day rush from the deep, creating this oasis--a Garden of Eden. Home to manatees during the winter, the year-round seventy-three degree water sometimes is host to upwards of two hundred manatee. Just don't call them sea cows. They hate that. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbG15FRkcOE/Uu6RToEgfZI/AAAAAAAABiY/mhATZMit4oU/s1600/Blue+Spring+Manatess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mbG15FRkcOE/Uu6RToEgfZI/AAAAAAAABiY/mhATZMit4oU/s1600/Blue+Spring+Manatess.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-19975784995673463522014-01-15T15:05:00.001-05:002014-01-15T15:05:26.696-05:00For my Sima, My Cherished Friend (Sima Taylor, March 29, 1968 - January 7, 2014)<i>For my Sima, my cherished friend whom we will remember today,&nbsp;</i><br /><br />Sima, I counted you a sister, a friend, and a Christian--now I count you a saint. Whether we sleep in Christ to rise with Him later or whether we are immediately with Him--I know you are in the palm of God's hand.<br /><br />You are one of most gracious persons I have ever known. I know you had many, many friends, but you made me feel special. Whenever we were together, I felt you there in the moment with me. Never judged; always loved--I treasure our friendship and guard it. And my family will never forget the comfort you offered us when my brother died.<br /><br />You cared about people, and they felt it. You offered warmth and hospitality. Everyone who knows you knows your kindness, and you are the woman spoken of in Proverbs 31.<br /><br />I loved our conversations, and how they'd cover things from the nature of sin, to our kids, to what was happening in the world (or at the movies!). It's easy to talk to you and hard to keep track of time. I remember one lunch we had, and how I didn't really notice that the crowd in the restaurant had changed over several times and the waiter kept filling my coffee long after our food was gone. We suddenly realized it had been more than three hours and we were almost late picking up our kids!<br /><br />You are beautiful, inside and out. Your eyes are like onyx. You have a pretty little laugh. You are a good friend and a safe place, and I miss you, Sima.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MXXZqIISZI/UtbpB6jkuaI/AAAAAAAABiI/0uX6bfnKnFk/s1600/Sima+and+her+mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--MXXZqIISZI/UtbpB6jkuaI/AAAAAAAABiI/0uX6bfnKnFk/s400/Sima+and+her+mom.jpg" /></a></div><i>Sima (right) and her mom</i>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-38556827540969844882013-12-21T12:48:00.001-05:002013-12-21T12:48:11.656-05:00In Which I Meet Sinbad, One of My Comedy Heroes!Last night, I got to meet one of my comedy heroes, Sinbad!<br /><br />He called me out during his bit on helping ladies with their problems after I shouted, "I cook supper. They don't eat, but later they fill up on ice cream!"<br /><br />Man, is he quick! Asked me questions, flipped my answers into jokes, and solved my problem: "Don't cook for a week; if they don't notice, everybody have ice cream!"<br /><br />My favorite new bit in his ninety minute set was how the butt holds it together for the rest of the body. "Your back goes out, you start falling, thinking about what bones in your body are about to break now and then the butt says, 'Hey! I got this!<br /><br />"You never heard of anyone needing a butt replacement.'"<br /><br />And there was so much more! He teased late comers, bantered with a very drunk audience member, and gave "advice" to different teens in the audience.<br /><br />Three times I've seen Sinbad live. This was the first time I got to meet him. What an excellent night! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IbVaVJFq1k/UrXUH0MlR9I/AAAAAAAABgk/Zs-mneT3eVI/s1600/Sinbad+and+Danette+Haworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IbVaVJFq1k/UrXUH0MlR9I/AAAAAAAABgk/Zs-mneT3eVI/s400/Sinbad+and+Danette+Haworth.jpg" /></a></div>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-65694526985942173222013-10-18T11:46:00.004-04:002013-10-18T11:46:42.319-04:00Alex Gets an A on Violet Raines Book Report!I love my readers! From Shawntel﻿:<br /><br />My daughter, Alex, has just finished your book Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. She is ten years old, eleven next month, and new to middle school. The book has helped her cope with changing schools and making new friends by understanding the motivations of the characters in your story. I want to thank you for writing a book that has made her want to read. Alex was able to identify with Violet so well, that she is struggling to find flaws in that character - it's very humorous. We have bought her dozens of chapter books in the past, but this is the first time that she has been excited to read and finish a book, on her own. I just wanted to take a moment to tell you what your writing has meant to my child. We are eager to find more of your work.<br /><br />Shawntel later sent me a note saying Alex received 100% on her book report. YAY, Alex!Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-49243432032220993622013-08-30T05:37:00.001-04:002013-08-30T05:37:23.378-04:00My Darkness CallsMY DARKNESS CALLS <br /><br />Barking dog<br />Woke at four<br /><br />Tried to sleep,<br />There was no more<br /><br />To the kitchen I did sneak<br />Orange muffins I did make<br /><br />Excitement of smell, so orangey, so good<br />Limit to one--okay, two--I should<br /><br />Yet sleep dost call, I hear it nigh<br />Get ready for school, goodbye, goodbye<br /><br />My darkness calls<br />and in it, dreams<br /><br />They'll wait for me,<br />or so it seems.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-82429241832802814182013-08-13T11:27:00.001-04:002013-08-13T11:27:22.759-04:00'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument></xml><![endif]--><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles></xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal">'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">’Twas the night before school and all through the house,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not a child was Minecrafting or using a mouse.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The cell phones were plugged into chargers with care,</div><div class="MsoNormal">In hopes that new updates soon would appear.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The little ones tossed and they turned in their beds,</div><div class="MsoNormal">While visions of textbooks rattled their heads.</div><div class="MsoNormal">And Daddy with his iPad and I with my cell,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Caused the room to illume in a cool fluorescent spell.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When down through the hall, there arose such a clatter,</div><div class="MsoNormal">I sprang from my bed to check on the matter.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Away to the staircase I flew like a light,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feet skipping some stairs and down the first flight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The glow from a sitcom beamed from the set,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lending mass and shape to a group who now fret.</div><div class="MsoNormal">When, what did I see—I’m a tired mom grouch,</div><div class="MsoNormal">But my dog and my children, draped on the couch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">With agility of youth, so lively and quick,</div><div class="MsoNormal">They dispersed like birds, not one could I nick.</div><div class="MsoNormal">More rapid than cheetahs, not one of them lame,</div><div class="MsoNormal">I clapped and I shouted and called them by name.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Now, Brooke! Now, Matt! Now Zach, and you, Casey!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Come on! Upstairs! Right now! Make it hasty!</div><div class="MsoNormal">To the top of the stairs! Hop in your beds!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Or I’ll give you a punishment each of you dreads!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As dry leaves crumple when stomped by a foot,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Crushed into pieces and all is kaput,</div><div class="MsoNormal">So my children were sorry, sorry to be caught.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sorry that school was, and summer was not.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And then, in a twinkling, I heard high heel clicks,</div><div class="MsoNormal">The clipping and clopping of Old Mrs. Glicks,</div><div class="MsoNormal">My fifth grade teacher, a woman quite stern,</div><div class="MsoNormal">No extra credit, all points you must earn.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She was dressed all in black, from permed hair to gnarled toe,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Even her girdle made the unsightly not show.</div><div class="MsoNormal">A bundle of papers she crooked in her arm,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Red marks and Xs, I saw my name in alarm.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Her eyes how they pierced! Her lines were so deep!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her cheeks were like stone; her nose was a beak!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Her tight wrinkled lips were pursed in reproof,</div><div class="MsoNormal">But the whisker on her chin stood tall and aloof.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The cap of a pen she held tight in her teeth,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ready to grade and make children weep.</div><div class="MsoNormal">She had a thin face and veined, ropey hands,</div><div class="MsoNormal">That looked like two claws, getting ready to land.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She was skinny and knotty, a right spiteful marm,</div><div class="MsoNormal">And I shuddered when I saw her and said, “No, no—oh darn!”</div><div class="MsoNormal">A slit of her eye and a twist of her head,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jolted my heart and turned me to lead.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She spoke not a word but went straight to her work,</div><div class="MsoNormal">Marking up papers and going berserk,</div><div class="MsoNormal">And sliding her pen on top of her ear,</div><div class="MsoNormal">And giving a nod, she then disappeared!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My body deflated, to my kids I did go,</div><div class="MsoNormal">To give them a cuddle, and tell them I know:</div><div class="MsoNormal">School can be scary and some teachers mean,</div><div class="MsoNormal">But when you come home, I’ll give you ice cream! </div>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-64590516825263212652013-08-04T11:30:00.002-04:002013-08-04T11:30:35.465-04:00From Grace regarding Violet RainesI found a wonderful note from a reader today:<br /><br />My name is Gracie, and I'm 9. I just read your book Violet Raines<br />Almost Got Struck By Lightning and I loved it. I love your way with<br />words! It seemed so real and I was sad when I finished it. I think you<br />should make a sequel to it or make another book starring Violet. I<br />can't stop thinking about the book it was so good. When I grow up, I<br />want to be an author, too, so please tell me how you write so well.<br />Please write me back, you're an awesome author!!!<br /><br />Thank you, Gracie! My reply has been sent! Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-59628474678921568372013-05-27T21:32:00.000-04:002013-05-27T21:32:07.371-04:00iPod Found Poetry: "Starting at A""Starting at A"<br /><br />&nbsp;<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r42J0CVk-s4/UaQIu5N9tQI/AAAAAAAABe4/MiT_Uuy5Ci4/s1600/iPod+found+poetry.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r42J0CVk-s4/UaQIu5N9tQI/AAAAAAAABe4/MiT_Uuy5Ci4/s320/iPod+found+poetry.jpg" /></a><br /><h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}"><span class="userContent"><br /></span></span></h5><h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}"><span class="userContent">&nbsp;</span></span></h5><h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:1,&quot;tn&quot;:&quot;K&quot;}"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{&quot;type&quot;:3}"><span class="userContent">&nbsp;</span></span></h5>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-47970800090406063702013-05-22T19:21:00.001-04:002013-05-22T19:21:30.366-04:00An Ode to Lauren Fox for her book Friends Like UsAn Ode to Lauren Fox for her Book Friends Like Us<br /><br />A pox! A pox!<br />A pox on Lauren Fox!<br /><br />I read your book<br />I read all night<br />It felt so good<br />It felt so right.<br /><br />But then the morning sun<br />did rise<br />I could barely ope<br />my eyes.<br /><br />So a pox on you<br />is what I offer,<br />Lauren Fox<br />my new favorite author.Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-38123213990212001202013-05-21T09:58:00.000-04:002013-05-21T09:58:05.332-04:00Chit Chat, Star Trek Spoilers, and More!Hello all!<br /><br />I find I post almost daily on Facebook but rarely here anymore. I think it's because Facebook is a wholesale real-time blog reader, and it's trained me to keep going back by rewarding me with quick likes and comments. I read and comment on a lot of other people's FB posts, but I don't spend much time in the blogosphere anymore.<br /><br />So I bought Demetri Marin's book, POINT YOUR FACE AT THIS Drawings by Demetri Martin. If you know his comedy, it's impossible to leaf through the pages without hearing his voice narrate the pictures, droll and deadpan. Some pictures are silly, some are the kind that you think "This is amusing," but your mouth is still a straight line, and others are poignant--revealing the author's misgivings about life, fame, and other things. I like it!<br /><br />My beautiful Casey is being groomed even as we speak. I dropped her off, dropped kids off, walked in the door, and automatically reached down for Casey as I came in. I'm so used to her greeting me, it's become muscle memory. But she'll be home in a couple of hours.<br /><br />Once, they SHAVED her. She looked like a skeleton dog. I emphasized NO RAZOR TO BE USED ON THIS DOG!<br /><br />WARNING! STAR TREK SPOILERS!<br />Tiny Little Spoilers Ahead!<br />Turn Back Now!<br /><br />Okay, now that the people who haven't seen Star Trek are gone, I can tell you: Yesterday, I was thinking about STAR TREK Into Darkness, and I realized this--everyone cries. Everyone cries! Did you notice tears leaking from the eyes of all main characters? OMG! Pike cries; Kirk cries; Spock cries; Uhura cries; Bones cries; Scotty wells up. Cry babies! Pull up your bootstraps! Kirk 1.0 wouldn't be crying!<br /><br />Also, I didn't like the scene near the end SPOILER where Kirk is in the radiation tube dying, and he looks at Spock and says, "I'm scared." How much more poignant it would have been had he said nothing; had his eyes and painful/sorrowful grimaces done the talking, with surprise/sorrow/pain registering in response on Spock's face. I would have liked that a lot better.<br /><br />But still, STAR TREK!<br /><br />That is all for now. Today I'm starting on the critiques for the upcoming SCBWI Mid-Summer Workshop, a task I truly enjoy. There is something rewarding about spotting the talent in up-and-coming writers.<br /><br />Have a great day!Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1084768152849313070.post-30006296667486190082013-05-11T18:48:00.002-04:002013-05-11T18:48:52.641-04:00Get a Whole Book for less than Half a Sub!Get a whole book for less than half a sub! A WHOLE LOT OF LUCKY is on sale in the Kindle store for $2.99!<br /><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a_wXbPoNFUM/UY7J8ZPJnQI/AAAAAAAABeU/qc2lt-9sRUY/s1600/Lucky+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a_wXbPoNFUM/UY7J8ZPJnQI/AAAAAAAABeU/qc2lt-9sRUY/s320/Lucky+cover.jpg" /></a>Danette Haworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13220718895967380788noreply@blogger.com1